Page 3 of Instinct for Disaster

The male who didn’t have her touching him knocked gently on the door. It opened, and a steward beckoned her inside. “Please, miss. Come in.”

She nodded and walked into the chamber where the captain was talking with a Hmrain. The species manning the vessel was primarily Coybel. They had the fuzzy skin of baby seals in avariety of grey hues. The giant dark eyes set her at ease. They didn’t hide much.

She folded her hands in front of her and bowed from the waist. “Overseer. Captain. Thank you for your invitation.”

They looked at her, and the captain came to her, taking her hands and nodding. “Welcome, Miner Cassandra.”

His finger fur tickled against her own skin. “Thank you for the invitation and the clothing.”

“We carry a few items for those such as yourself who never anticipated an invitation.”

“Or companions who have their clothing torn off.” The Hmrain smirked, though it was hard to tell. His body was striped, but it was a subtle stripe. The base colour seemed to be black, but there was a charcoal striping that made her stare. His wings were peculiar. They looked to be covered in the same dark colouration as the texture of the fluff found on baby chicks.

The bright pops of colour on him were gemstones marching up the outer edge of his pointed ears. His hair was braided in a thick crest that gave him a fauxhawk, which was a reference he would not understand. His upper torso was clothed in wrapped silks in a close-to-herringbone pattern.

His feline features and silver eyes made her frown as she tried to figure out how she felt about his looks.

The captain said, “I have never seen a woman look at a Hmrain with that particular expression. Is it confusion or irritation?”

She cocked her head. “Yes.”

He smiled, and she looked straight at the captain. He blinked. “What are you, Miner?”

“I am Terran. Refugee of a dead world. Retired miner of khimerion.”

The captain came around and held her chair for her. She was seated at the left hand of the overseer, and the captain was at the right.

The overseer looked at her. “We are waiting for one more couple.”

“Oh.” She was disappointed. Too many people were distracting.

The others arrived within three minutes and were settled.

They looked at her naked skin with polite repulsion, and she merely looked back at them, guessing their financial worth. She shrugged when she figured out that they were spending everything they had.

The merchants were giddy with excitement at being at the overseer’s table.

Cass settled, and when each course was brought out, she ate quietly while the chattering went on around her.

The merchant on her left said, “You are very quiet, miss. You don’t find our conversation to your liking?”

“The title is miner, not miss, and the conversation does not involve me. I have no interest in shopping or harvests.”

He frowned. “Miner? A little thing like you?”

“In a capsule unit, size doesn’t matter. Instinct and reflexes are all, and I have high marks in both.” She set her fork down, and the staff cleared her plate.

She sipped at the wine glass and made a face.

“Well, you are lacking taste. This wine is amazing.”

The overseer was looking at her curiously. “You don’t like the wine?”

“There are too many bitter notes from the tannins, and the acidic twist given by the original fruit is harsh for my taste.”

The overseer spoke softly to one of the servers, and the young male got excited and moved smoothly out of the dining room.

The merchant snorted. “How could a creature like you appreciate good wine?”

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